Treatment of fabrics,skins and furs

ABSTRACT

A COMPOSITION FOR TREATMENT OF FABRICS COMPRISING A SOLUTION OF WATER, SULPHONATED CASTOR OIL, GLYCERINE AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE. THE METHOD OF TREATING BY BRUSHING THE SURFACE OF FABRIC WITH THIS SOLUTION AND DRYING.

United States Patent ()fl Patented Mar. 2, 1971 3,567,364 TREATMENT OF FABRICS, SKINS AND FURS Robert A. James, 4 Grange Court, High St., Pinner, Middlesex, England No Drawing. Filed Jan. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 606,585 Int. Cl. B081) 3/00 US. Cl. 8-137 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A composition for treatment of fabrics comprising a solution of water, sulphonated castor oil, glycerine and sodium hydroxide. The method of treating by brushing the surface of fabric with this solution and drying.

This invention relates to the treatment of fabrics, including carpets, and skins and furs and is particularly concerned with cleaning such materials and the revival of their colour.

Hitherto, little colour revival has been specifically carried out other than incidentally during a normal cleaning method. These cleaning methods have frequently used soaps, shampoos and various detergents as the principal active ingredient in order to remove the dirt particles from the material. It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved composition for simultaneously cleaning and reviving the colour of fabrics, including carpets and skins and furs and also a composition for use in such method.

According to the invention there is provided a composition for use in the treatment of fabrics, including carpets, and furs and skins which comprise a solution containing water, sulphonated castor oil, glycerine, and sodium hydroxide.

For best results the water, sulphonated castor oil and glycerine should be present in substantially equal amounts by volume. The composition may also include a small quantity of an ionic or non-ionic surfactant, such as a sulphonated long chain alcohol.

The invention includes a method of treating fabrics, skins and furs which comprises brushing the above described composition into the surface of the material to be treated and then drying or allowing the material to dry.

The following example is given to illustrate the invention and the manner in which it may be carried into effect.

An example of a suitable composition is as follows:

EXAMPLE A concentrate is prepared from the following ingredients:

Water0.5 imperial gallon Sulphonated castor oil0.5 imperial gallon Glycerine (commercially pure)0.5 imperial gallon Sodium hydroxide flake-6V2 oz.

The composition may be prepared in the following manner. The sodium hydroxide is added to the half gallon of Water which is heated to assist dissolution of the sodium hydroxide. The glycerine and sulphonated castor oil are then added to the sodium hydroxide solution. A small quantity of the surfactant sold under the trade name Sulphonated Laurol Liquid T.A. and believed to be sulphonated lauryl alcohol, is then added to the solution at the rate of l fluid ounce to one imperial gallon of the resultant concentrate. When mixed, no settling occurs and the concentrate remains clear. In order to prepare the solution for actual use, the concentrate is diluted in the ratio of one fluid ounce of the concentrate to one imperial gallon of water.

Alternatively in diluting the concentrate for use, the water may be wholly or partially replaced by an organic solvent, e.g. perchloroethylene, turpentine or white spirit.

If desired the composition may be formulated as an aerosol composition, using appropriate propellants such as liquid butane. In this form the composition is readily applied to an article to be heated by spraying.

The solution is applied to the surface of the article to be treated such as a soiled carpet, preferably by spraying, and brushing solution into the carpet. The carpet is then allowed to dry. This takes only a relatively short period and the article should be dry within approximately half an hour. After the carpet has been treated in this way it is found that the original colour is restored to a remarkable degree.

The cleaning and colour revival process in accordance with this invention has been found to be eifective on fabrics made from both natural and man-made fibres in clothing, curtains and carpets, and also with skins and furs.

I claim:

1. A composition for use in the treatment of material containing natural fibres, including carpets, for color revival, said composition comprising a solution containing water, sulphonated castor oil, glycerine and sodium hydroxide, the sulphonated castor oil and glycerine being present in substantially equal parts by volume, the water being present in an amount at least equal in volume to the glycerine or sulphonated castor oil, and the sodium hydroxide being present in an amount which is less than that of each of the other three stated ingredients.

2. A composition according to claim 1 which addi-' tionally includes a minor amount of sulphonated lauryl alcohol.

3. A method of treating material containing natural fibers, including carpets, for color revival which comprises brushing the surface of the material with a colorreviving composition to revive the color of said material, and then drying the material, said color-reviving composition comprising a solution containing water, sulphonated castor oil, glycerine and sodium hydroxide, the sulphonated castor oil and glycerine being present in substantially equal parts by volume, the water being present in an amount at least equal in volume to the glycerine or sulphonated castor oil, and the sodium hydroxide being present in an amount which is less than that of each of the other three stated ingredients.

4. A method according to claim '3 in which the composition includes an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of perchloroethylene, turpentine and white spirit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,613,470 11/1952 Hendrix 8-137 3,401,007 9/ 1968 Hoifmann 8-137 FOREIGN PATENTS 674,580 6/ 2 Great Britain 8-137 1,038,224 8/ 1966 Great Britain.

NORMAN G. TORCHIN, Primary Examiner J. E. CALLAGHAN, Assistant Examiner 

